Surf site offers video downloads

SOLANA BEACH - A Web site launched this summer by a veteran film
producer in Solana Beach aims to be on the cutting edge of both
video distribution and surf culture.

The site, called The Surf Network or thesurfnetwork.com, offers
the ability to download classics such as Bruce Brown's 1966 film
"The Endless Summer" along with newer television shows.

The site is designed to provide videos for download directly
into Apple's iTunes program, said Ira Opper, president of Opper
Sports Productions. His company makes FiNS, a magazine-format show
about surfing for Fox's Fuel sports network.

Conley, who was in Solana Beach on Wednesday recuperating from a
leg injury, said the video collects "inside the barrel" footage of
his travels to Indonesia, Mexico, Australia and Southern Pacific
islands. He uses a variety of helmet- and board-mounted cameras to
show the viewer his experiences.

"That's what sets my material apart from other people's," he
said. "You get the sensation of being the surfer."

His first "My Eyes Won't Dry" found distribution through local
premieres, surf shops and word of mouth, he said.

Opper said that his site will begin offering Conley's hour-long
video for download at the same time that it is available on
DVD.

Many Hollywood studios are experimenting this year with offering
"video-on-demand" the same day as a DVD release, according to the
trade magazine Variety.